Summit Corporation and Beximco Holdings, two of the country’s largest conglomerates, have awarded a matching grant of Tk4.5 crore per annum for three years to JAAGO Foundation, enabling them to educate 4,000 students across Bangladesh.
The duration of this agreement is three years.
JAAGO utilizes their UNESCO award-winning teaching model using ICT to ensure education over telephone calls, short messaging service, and video conferencing system.
Once the education institutions open, the grant will be used to run the digital schools.
This is the first time two local conglomerates are jointly contributing such a large amount to a local non-profit organization, reads a press release.
Muhammed Aziz Khan, founder chairman of Summit Group of Companies, said: "The excellent work of JAAGO in using web-based learning for the poorer students all over Bangladesh is perhaps a model of educating in the future.
“Korvi has thought about what others will and should follow. Summit is committed to eradicate poverty and thus is privileged to support JAAGO’s internet-based schools. JAAGO has been awarded the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education, they deserve the Nobel prize," he added.
“Every child has the right to education — the right to go to school and learn. For too many, however, that right has been left in tatters by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Shayan F Rahman, advisor to the board of Beximco Group.
“Thankfully, we can cash in on the robust countrywide digital infrastructure and information technology prowess to enable distance learning opportunities for many. Beximco, along with Summit, is proud to partner with JAAGO to empower 4,000 children from less fortunate segments of our population with remote education,” he further said.
Korvi Rakshand, founder of JAAGO Foundation, said schools and colleges have been shut down during this global pandemic.
“At such a moment, Summit and Beximco have come forward to support the education sector. This is an example of the Bangladesh corporate sector stepping forward for the people of Bangladesh. I hope that this initiative will encourage other corporate houses to step forward and make a difference in the community,” he added.
At the virtual signing ceremony, Directors of Summit Group Fadiah Khan, Azeeza Aziz Khan, and Salman Khan were present on behalf of Summit and from Beximco, Ajmal Kabir, group director, and Samira Zuberi Himika, executive director, were present.
Two students of the first batch of JAAGO, Fatema and Lenin, shared their stories at the ceremony.
The virtual signing ceremony was hosted by Nobonita Chowdhury.
With this grant, JAAGO hopes to make a sustainable change in the lives of marginalized children and accelerate the development process of Bangladesh.
